Business

BUFORD, Ga. -- Buffalo Wild Wings is opening its newest location in Buford, Ga. at Mall of Georgia on Monday, July 27, bringing its mouth-watering wings, wide selection of premium, craft and domestic beers and ultimate sports viewing atmosphere to local residents. Buffalo Wild Wings is the destination for wing fanatics and sports fans alike.

“We are very excited to be bringing the Buffalo Wild Wings experience to Mall of Georgia and we look forward to becoming a part of this dynamic community,” said Bob Ruhland, Vice President of North America Marketing for Buffalo Wild Wings.

The Mall of Georgia Buffalo Wild Wings features wall-to-wall high-definition, flat-screen TVs for ultimate event and sports viewing. The company’s new restaurant design captures the energy of a sports stadium and creates a social and interactive local gathering place for sports fans.

Pike Nurseries management is pleased to announce the company has combined with Armstrong Garden Centers, its sister corporation in California, to operate under an established Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The plan transfers ownership to Pike Nurseries and Armstrong Garden Centers employees through a defined contribution benefit program.

“The ESOP program allows us to reward our employees for their hard work and longevity with the company,” said Mike Kunce, CEO and Chairman of the Board at Pike Nurseries and Armstrong Garden Centers. “This structure not only enables management continuity, but also ensures the employees who have built and sustained Pike Nurseries and Armstrong Garden Centers play an integral part in the future success of the business.”

(USA TODAY) -- After reporting dismal fourth-quarter earnings, RadioShack said Tuesday that it would close about 1,100 poorly performing stores, roughly 20% of the electronic retailer's locations.

The store closings will leave about 4,000 locations in the U.S. The company has been struggling to revamp its stores for the past year.

Total net sales and operating revenues were $935.4 million in the fourth quarter, vs. $1,171.4 million last year, a 20% decline. Comparable store sales were down 19%, which the company blames on poor performance in its mobile phone business.

RadioShack stock was down more than 20% in premarket trading.

"Even in this environment, we're continuing to make progress on the five pillars of our turnaround plan: repositioning the brand, revamping the product assortment, reinvigorating the stores, operational efficiency and financial flexibility," CEO Joseph C. Magnacca said in a statement.

(BUSINESS JOURNAL) -- Best Buy Co. Inc. plans to cut hundreds of jobs throughout its U.S. store operations, according to a report in the New York Post.

The article, citing anonymous insiders, says the "layoffs could affect upwards of 2,000 managers," though the exact scope isn't known. The retailer does not plan to close any of its 1,055 U.S. stores at this time.

Best Buy, which reports its fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday, declined to comment. The chain has 19 stores in metro Atlanta.

Late last month, Best Buy announced it was laying off roughly 950 full-time employees at its Best Buy and Future Shop stores in Canada as part of a store-restructuring initiative. The company said it will consolidate sales departments and reduce management layers in an effort to "streamline its store operating model as part of the company's long-term growth strategy in Canada."

That could bring the brand to new markets, such as Augusta, Ga. or Charleston, S.C. The company hopes to open its first restaurant outside of metro Atlanta in 2015.

"We want to grow the brand through the Southeast," said Bartlett, who was brought on late last year to aid Tin Lizzy's growth. He previously worked for Hooters of America LLC. In his 20-year tenure, he worked his way from dishwasher to director of operations, opening more than 120 Hooters locations.

(ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE) -- RadioShack scored big points with its comedic 1980s-themed Super Bowl ad that poked fun at the retailer's outdated image, but the mood was more somber on Tuesday when news broke that around 500 stores will close in the coming months.

The Wall Street Journal says it isn't clear which of the Fort Worth, Texas-based company's 4,300 stores will be closed or when.

The closings are part of a restructuring. Says the WSJ, "The retailer has struggled to reverse a string of losses deepened by a sales strategy focused around smartphones, which failed to improve revenue over the past two years."